This is an analysis of the poem Negotiations with a Volcano that begins with:

We will call you "Agua" like the rivers and cool jugs.
We will persuade the clouds to nestle around your neck...

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

The information we provided is prepared by means of a special computer program. Use the criteria sheet to understand greatest poems or improve your poetry analysis essay.

  • Rhyme scheme: abcXaXacX XaaXXXX XXXad eceedbe
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 9,7,5,7,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: no rhyme
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: blank verse
  • Metre: 101110001010111 1001010100111 11111 11010011010 10101111001 111011011010011 10110100101 101001101010010 010001001101011 1101111100111100 110111100101110 101001000111 011010110101 10111111111 11011 001100001110111 10111101101 1111101 10101011101 101101101001010 1111011011101 111110 1101111101 110100011 1110101 01000111 1111111 1101101
  • Amount of stanzas: 4
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 320
  • Average number of words per stanza: 60
  • Amount of lines: 28
  • Average number of symbols per line: 45 (strings are more long than medium ones)
  • Average number of words per line: 9
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; we, you, of, our are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same words we, please are repeated.

If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:

  • summary of Negotiations with a Volcano;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Naomi Shihab Nye